Being on a gluten free diet is all the rage at the moment
and you may even be thinking of going on a one yourself. But before you do, there
are some things to think about. Unless you are medically advised to do so, most
people should not go on a gluten free diet.
A gluten free diet is essential for people with celiac
disease, a serious autoimmune disorder that destroys the villi of the intestinal
tract. Celiac disease affects about 1-2% of the population. There is no cure
but symptoms can be reversed by taking gluten out of the diet. But the danger
of self-diagnosing and taking gluten out of your diet prior to being diagnosed
is that test results could be affected and you may end up with an inaccurate
false negative test for celiac disease which could affect your long term health.
An intestinal biopsy is the only way to detect celiac disease accurately.
There has been a lot of media hype about going on a gluten
free diet. People tend to go on a gluten free diet because the think it will
help their general well-being, or in response to feeling tired, bloated or
depressed. They often find that reducing gluten correlates with improved feelings
or losing weight. But this is more likely to be explained by the fact that they've
cut out the excess calories found in many flour-based snack foods, and
they mistakenly attribute feeling better to taking out the gluten.
Going gluten free is tough, and can be much more expensive.
And not only that, it may lead to malnutrition if not managed properly. Studies
have found that a gluten free diet can be seriously nutrient deficient such as
low in fiber, iron, folate, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, vitamin B12,
phosphorus and zinc. That's because so many gluten free products are made with
refined, unenriched grains and starches, which contain plenty of calories but
very few vitamins or minerals. So starting on a gluten free diet needs to be
done carefully ensuring that all your nutritional needs are met.
There is no truth either, in the assumption that a gluten
free diet causes you to lose weight. In fact, the opposite is true, the extra
calories can make you put on weight. So instead of going on an unnecessary
gluten free diet, why don’t you cut down on carbohydrates and eat an apple or
carrot instead.
The gluten free industry has sky rocketed, but unfortunately
this has meant that there has been an explosion in gluten free junk foods which
are not healthy and I hope you don't become a victim.
The other health consideration is that if you do not eat
sufficient carbohydrates such as bread, you may develop ketosis, which is a metabolic
state in which most of the body's energy supply comes from ketone bodies in
the blood, in contrast to a state of glycolysis in which blood
glucose provides most of the energy. High levels of ketosis are dangerous, but
there is controversy about the effects of eliminating carbohydrates. Some say
it is unhealthy and dangerous and others regard low level ketosis as a safe
biochemical process that occurs during the fat-burning state.
Obviously people diagnosed with celiac disease or one of the
other gluten related conditions have to be on a 100% gluten free diet for life.
However, if you have not been told by a doctor or a dietitian that you need a
gluten free diet, then you probably don’t need one.
I suggest that instead of going gluten free you work on your
nutrition and eat healthier foods as well as look at life balance as well as
exercise and you may be surprised. The symptoms may vanish!
If you continue to suffer symptoms it is essential to see a doctor
and/or specialist to have the cause of those symptoms accurately diagnosed. Don’t
go on a gluten free diet until you have had a diagnosis confirmed. It is always
a good idea to see a dietitian if you feel you have dietary issues you may need
assistance with.
If you do need to go on a gluten free diet you may find my
"Gluten Free Cooking Guide" helpful - It shows you how to achieve a 100% gluten free kitchen
